Pool tables and the like



5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed F'eb. 27

June 16, 1964 Filed Feb. 27, 1965 N. CLARE ETAL 3,137,091

Pool. TABLES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Shedl 2 INVENTORSx NeR/mm CLA RE JA M55 SmcLm/e G kmr/rus QM, A r oRNEYs June 16, 1964 N. CLARE ETAL 3,137,091

POOL. TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 27, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 16, .1964

N. cLARE ETAL. 3,137,091

POOL TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 27, 1963 5 Sheets-Shea?l 4 INVENTORS.' NORMAN CLARE JAMES Smc-AIR 6km/:WHS

@MA-M? v6 A Tro N evs June 16, 1964 N. CLARE ETAL 3,137,091

Poor. TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 27, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I l l l 34 V 3a 64%- g 4a /42 I 62f I l )D I zr-ns INVENTORS: NORMAN CLARE JAMES SuecLA/I? GRIFFITHS (3 V Arrzmsvs 3,137,091 P001.. TABLES AND THE LIKE Norman Clare, 36 Foreeld Lane, Great Crosby, Liverpool, England, and .lames Sinclair Griffiths, Liverpool,

England; said Griffiths assigner to said Clare Filed Feb. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 261,333 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 3, 1962 4 Claims. (Cl. 45139) The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to billiard tables and the like, and is especially concerned with an underframe for a billiard table. This j invention also concerns a levelling device which is incorporated within the above-mentioned underframe.

Hitherto, the levelling of a billiard table or the like table has been effected by the utilization of toe blocks or wedges, or by movable levelling toes which are threadedly mounted in the feet of the table legs. However, the use of the aforementioned levelling means gives rise to many disadvantages.

It is a well established fact that a billiard table which has been incorrectly levelled over a number of years tends to become twisted and distorted from its normal state, and thus it is essential that levelling adjustments to a billiard table should be executed by a person who is experienced andr skilled in the art. However, when the levelling means of a billiard table are easily accessible,

Vas in the caseof toe blocks or similar devices, the level have the added advantage of being lockable.

The present invention seeks to provide a billiard table underframe having a plurality of Vlevelling devices associated therewith which exhibits these desirable features.

According to the present invention, an underframe for v'a billiard table or the like comprises a plurality of support members upon which side Vrails are adjustably United States Patent M mounted by means of a plurality of lockable levelling devices.

Preferably each support member is in the form of a rectangular box-like structure having asingle levelling device mounted on each end portion thereof. Each end portion of a support member consists of an end Wall of the box-like structure in xed abutment with a side post whereby the combination constitutes one support leg for the underframe. j 7

A single levelling device conveniently comprises a pair 0f transversely extending bolts which pass through a side post to be located in a side rail, and a single bolt vertically mounted for movement in a direction along its longitudinal axis in the upper portion of the side wall which forms a leg of the underframe with the side post.

The heads of the transversely extending bolts are heldv in releasable engagement against the edges of slots formed in a metal plate which is fixed to the outer surface of the side post. The Opposite ends of the bolts are threadedly received in tapped holes formed in a metal plate Von the inner surface of the side rail. The single bolt is threadedly received in a cup-like insert at the entrance to a vertically downwardly extending blind bore in the side wall into which the bolt extends. The bolt also extends above the cup-like insert and has its head in locked abutment with the underside of the associated side rail, by

means of a locking nut.

3,137,091 Patented June 16, 1964 `which z FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of an underframe for a billiard table according to the present invention which incorporates a plurality of levelling devices;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional side elevation of the underframe taken along the line II-II of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 shows a corresponding plan view of the underframe;

FIG. 4 shows an end elevation of the underframe;

FIG. 5 shows a sectional elevation of the underframe taken along the line V-V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged sectional fragmental view of FIG. 5 illustrating more clearly a levelling device of the underframe; and

FIG. 7 shows a corresponding view of the levelling device of FIG. 6 in the direction of the arrow Y.

Referring initially to FIGS. l to 3 of the drawings, an underframe for a billiard table comprises three equidis- Vtantly spaced support members and two parallel side rails adjustably mounted on the support members.

Each support member 10 is in the form of a rectangular box-like structure which comprises side Walls 12, 14, end walls 16, 18 and a top Wall 20. The end walls 16, 18 of each support member 10 arejxedly attached to side posts 22, 24, which project above the upper surface of the top wall 20. The foot of each end wall and side post rests on a pad 26 to prevent marking of the floor upon which the underframe stands.

The side rails 28 are in spaced parallel relationship, shown clearly in FIG. 3, with portions of their outer side faces in slidable contact with the portions of the inner faces of the side posts 1S which project above the top wall 2b of each support member 10 (FIGS. 3 to 6).

vIn the proximity of the top wall 20 of each support mem- -able means to the outer surface of each post 18 so as to close the slot 32 where it opens onto the outer surface of the post. The plate 34 has two spaced slots 36 therein disposed with their major axes along the central longitudinal axis of the plate. receive bolts 38 (see FIGS. 5, 6 and 7) which pass through the slot 32 and are located in transversely extending bores 40 in one of the side rails 2S. The bolts 33 are screw threaded andterminate in tapped holes 42 in a steel right-angled plate 44 fixed to the inner and bottom faces of each side rail 28. The bolts 38 form part of one device by which the level of the side rails can be adjusted.

Each end wall 16 and 18 of each member 10 has a blind bore 46 therein which extends vertically downwardly from the upper edge thereof. The opening 48 to the bore 46 is shaped to receive a steel cup-like insert 50 having a bore 52 which is tapped to threadedly receive a bolt 54, one portion of which extends Within the bore 46 and the remaining portion extending withinvthe recess 3i). The underside of the side rail 28 rests in contact with the head 56 of the bolt 54, and the bolt is lockable in any desired position by means of a locking nut 58which abuts the flange 60 of the insert 50. The arrangement of bolt 54, insert 50 and locking nut 58 forms the remaining part of one levelling device for adjusting the side rails 28.

The slots 36 are adapted to The operation of one such levelling device will be described with particular reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The heads 62 of bolts 38 are engaged by a suitable instrument, such as a Spanner, whereby the bolts are slackened in the slots 36. The locking nut 58 then is slackened from abutment with the insert 50 and then by turning the head 56 in the appropriate direction, the bolt 54 can be screwed into or out of the bore 46 with the result that the level of the portion of the side rail 28 in the vicinity of the side post 18 is raised or lowered. When the desired levelling adjustment has been made the locking nut 58 is returned into locking abutment with the insert 50, and the bolts 3S are locked in their new positions within the slots 36.

Six such levelling devices are associated with the embodiment of the underframe described but it is obvious that the number is limited to the number of support members incorporated in a particular underframe.

An advantage of the underframe according to the present invention is that each levelling device is not easily accessible due to the positioning of the same on the underframe. Although it can be seen from the accompanying drawings that the heads 56 of the bolts 54 are plainly visible, they will, however, not be visible when the underframe forms part of a complete table since the side posts 18 have decorative releasably mounted side covers thereon. Thus the levelling devices cannot be seen from the sides of the underframe, and in order that they cannot be seen from the ends thereof, the side wall 12 of one outer support member and the side wall 14 of the other outer member 10 are continued above the top walls 20 almost to the level of the upper edges of the side rails 2S. The side rails 28 have slots 64 therein to accommodate the end regions of side wall continuations.

With the above mentioned precautions, the likelihood of any inexperienced person tampering with a locking device is greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

The term billiard table used herein is more commonly referred toas a pool table.

We claim:

1. An underframe for a pool table and the like comprising a plurality of support members, each support member being in the form of a rectangular box-like structure, a side post in xed abutment with each end wall of each support member, side rails adjustably mounted on said support members, a plurality of lockable levelling devices for adjustably mounting said side rails on said support members whereby the position of said side rails relative to said support members is adjustable, each lockable levelling device comprising a pair of transversely extending bolts which pass through a side post to be located in a side rail, and a single bolt vertically mounted for movement in a direction along its longitudinal axis in the upper portion of an end wall of a support member which is in fixed abutment with said side post.

2. In a pool table and the like, an underframe comprising a plurality of spaced apart support members, each one of said support members comprising a box-like structure, a plurality of side posts each one of which is in iixed abutment with each end wall of each support member, a pair of parallel side rails, a plurality of lockable levelling devices for adjustably mounting said side rails on said sup"- port members whereby the position of said side rails relative to said support members is adjustable, each one of said plurality of levelling devices being mounted at each end of each of said support members and comprising a pair of bolts extending transversely through the side post associated therewith to be located in one of said side rails, means for holding the heads of saidbolts in releasable engagement, and a single bolt mounted in the upper portion of an end wall associated with said side post for movement in a vertical direction, a cup-like insert mounted at the entrance to a vertically downwardly extending blind bore in said end Wall for threadably receiving said single bolt which extends into said bore, said single bolt also extending above said cup-like insert and having the head thereof in locked abutment with the underside of said one of said side rails.

3. In the pool table and the like, an underframe comprising a plurality of spaced apart support members, each one of said support members comprising a box-like structure, a plurality of side posts each one of which is in iixed abutmentwith each end wall of each support member, a pair of parallel side rails, a plurality of lockable levelling devices for adjustably mounting said side rails on said support members, whereby -the position of said side rails relative to said support members is adjustable, each one of said plurality of levelling devices being mounted at each end of each of said support members and comprising a pair of bolts extending transversely through the side post associated therewith to be located in one of said side rails, means for holding the head of said bolts in releasable engagement, said means being a metal plate having apertures therein, mounted on the outer surface of said side post, the heads of said bolts being held in releasable engagement with the edges of said apertures, another metal plate having tapped holes therein and secured to the inner surface of said one of said side rails in which .the opposite ends of said bolts are threadedly received,

and a single bolt mounted in the upper portion of an end Wall associated with said side post for movement in a vertical direction, a cup-like insert mounted at the entrance to a vertically downwardly extending blind bore in said end wall for threadably receiving said single bolt which extends into said bore, said single bolts also extending above said cup-like insert and having the head thereof in locked abutment with the underside of said vone of said side rails.

4. An underfrarne as set forth in claim 3, wherein each side post of each of said members has a decorative cover mounted thereon whereby each leveling device is hidden from view.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN UNDERFRAME FOR A POOL TABLE AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT MEMBERS, EACH SUPPORT MEMBER BEING IN THE FORM OF A RECTANGULAR BOX-LIKE STRUCTURE, A SIDE POST IN FIXED ABUTMENT WITH EACH END WALL OF EACH SUPPORT MEMBER, SIDE RAILS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF LOCKABLE LEVELLING DEVICES FOR ADJUSTABLY MOUNTING SAID SIDE RAILS ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS WHEREBY THE POSITION OF SAID SIDE RAILS RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IS ADJUSTABLE, EACH LOCKABLE LEVELLING DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING BOLTS WHICH PASS THROUGH A SIDE POST TO BE LOCATED IN A SIDE RAIL, AND A SINGLE BOLT VERTICALLY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION ALONG ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF AN END WALL OF A SUPPORT MEMBER WHICH IS IN FIXED ABUTMENT WITH SAID SIDE POST. 